Against All Odds
by lalaland89
Summary: A mysterious locket. A lost girl in a different world. Misunderstandings between a once happy family. A quest to set what's right. A journey through the redemption of a king. Betrayal. Deception. Friendship. Jealousy. Hate. Lust. Love? Romance/Drama/Suspense/Adventure. NOT SLASH. Edmund/OC, Jill/Eustace, Jill/OC, Eustace/OC. Rated for later chapters. Don't like, don't read. :P
1. Prologue

**A/N: As you can see, I changed the prologue. This chapter was beta'd by my newest beta, Maddie Rose. Thank you so very effing much! You should really check her stories. They're awesome! I hope that you guys like this better than the old one.**

* * *

It was a sunny day as the little girl walked by the beach. In her tiny hands were various seashells of different colours. It was quite a handful by the looks of it. She hadn't even bothered to bring a bucket along with her, so right now she was struggling to keep them in her hands. The five-year-old girl didn't even notice the small rock as she squealed and tripped over it. She landed head first, sending the seashells flying from her hands. Groaning, she raised herself with her arms, spluttering when she tasted sand in her mouth. Suddenly, out of the blue, someone laughed at her, and as the sensitive little girl she was, she sobbed.

Three siblings were splashing everywhere as they swam in the warm water of the sea; the youngest was with their mother, sunbathing. The youngest boy of the four children stopped and walked towards a tree to grab a towel. He was wiping his face when suddenly, he heard a squeal. With the towel still in his hands, he quickly ran towards the noise and stopped once he saw a girl on the ground, sprawled on the wet sand. She pushed herself up with her arms; wet sand covered her face as she spit some out of her mouth. He couldn't help it, he laughed. He abruptly stopped when he heard a sob though, and instantly regretted it. Slowly, he made his way to her, and crouched down to her level, helping her up.

The person who laughed at her stopped abruptly when she started crying. She heard footsteps on the wet sand and something blocked her from the sunlight. She couldn't open her eyes; the wet sand was still clinging to her face. She felt something soft on her face and she took a hold on it, realizing it was a towel.

"Here, wipe your face" a small voice said to her. She nodded and stood up. She sat on the sand as she wiped her face with the towel, and once she felt there was no more sand on her face, she cautiously opened her eyes. A boy smiled broadly at her and said, "There. That's much better, right?"

She nodded and smiled. "Thank you" she said, handing him back the towel. He took it gently from her and draped it across his shouldes. He looked sheepishly at her and grimaced.

"I'm sorry I laughed at you. I couldn't help it." he muttered.

"It's okay. I get that a lot." she replied in a shy voice. She looked around to see her seashells scattered everywhere, making her groan in frustration.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked, thinking he made a mistake. She shook her head, indicating it wasn't his fault, and pointed at her seashells.

"I spent an hour picking those. And now I have to do it again." she mumbled, pouting slightly. The boy chuckled and stood up. He reached out his hand and waited.

"Let me help you, it's the least I could do." he said. She shrugged and took his hand, pulling herself up. He looked around and gazed at her questioningly.

"Do you have anything to hold those seashells with?" he asked. She shook her head and pursed her lips. He hummed and looked around. He spotted something brown by the coconut tree and picked it up.

"Here, use this" he said, handing over the brown thing. It was a half of a husk of a coconut. She looked at him, confused, and asked, "Why did you give me a coconut?"

"To put your shells in" he said as though it was obvious. She laughed and nodded understandingly. The boy helped her, just like he promised. Once they were done, they sat by the edge of the water, gazing at the sky. The girl looked at her shells and frowned when she saw one of them was broken into half. She took both halves and showed it to the boy.

"Look, this shell's broken. It was my favourite one too." she sighed. The shell was pink in colour, with some streaks of purple and white by the edges. The boy took the other half and placed it in his hand, examining it. He smiled as an idea crept into his mind.

"How's this? You take that half and I'll take this one. If we ever meet each other in the future, I'll be bound to know who you are" he suggested. The girl considered this and nodded.

"That's a good idea." she smiled. He shrugged and gave her a smug look. The girl rolled her eyes and chuckled slightly. A couple of minutes later, her mother called for her. She stood up and smiled at the boy.

"I've got to go. Maybe I'll see you soon?" she asked hopefully. He looked a little disappointed, but nodded anyway. Before she walked off, she gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for helping me." she whispered, a small blush crept on her cheeks. His eyes widened and he nodded. She turned around and walked towards her mother, who was looking at her fondly. The boy swallowed the lump on his throat. He touched the cheek she kissed absentmindedly, and walked backwards. Finally, he smiled and ran towards his siblings, who had been searching for him for the past twenty minutes.

"Where have you been?" his brother asked him. He looked at him sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry, I was caught in the moment." he mumbled. His siblings looked at him incredulously.

"What is that suppose to mean?" his older sister said. He shrugged and sat down beside his mother, who was holding his baby sister. He picked her up from his mother arms and bounced her up and down on his lap.

"Did you have fun today?" he whispered to his sister. She nodded and played with the string of his trunk. When the sun was setting, he realized he didn't even get the girl's name. He wondered if they would meet again someday.

Little did he know that fate had plans for them. Even if it did take twelve years.


	2. Arrival to a New Country

**A/N: Hey guys! This story is adapted by peace1989, for she no longer will be in this site. Hope you guys like it :) (P.S I asked permission, so don't sue me .O)**

* * *

The rain poured heavily on the roof of the taxi that Courtney had been riding on. It muffled the sounds of engines that carried her towards her grandmother's house. She looked out of the window to see a clock tower stroked at six o'clock and bells started to chime loudly.

She sighed and leaned back on her seat. Reaching for her messenger bag, she took out a book to read entitled, The Wings of the Dove. It was one of her favourite books, the chemistry between Merton and Millie is just intriguing to her. She smiled and read it again for the umpteenth time this year.

She grew so captivated with the fifth chapter that she didn't notice the carriage had come to a stop and so does the rain too. She looked up and smiled at the green-coloured house before her. The last time she's been here was when she was twelve. After the war, she was not allowed to come and visit. That is until her mother died and the only relative she has at the moment was her eccentric grandmother.

Now she's a fully grown seventeen-year-old teenager whose gardening is her compassion. Most girls enjoyed reading or sewing in their spare time, but Courtney used it as an opportunity to plant some flowers and let the mud soak in her skirts. Knowing her grandmother, she would have a beautiful garden as she share this passion with her. She hopped off eagerly and waited for her grandmother to notice her present.

As the driver took out her things from the trunk, the front door opened to reveal a very happy Nana. She smiled excitedly and waved frantically. Courtney returned it and they ran towards each other, embracing lovingly after six long years. They pulled back, giggling and walked towards the driver as he finished. Courtney asked what's the fare is and he replied, "Three pounds, please". She reached for her side pocket to take out the money she owe him. After she counted the right amount, she gave them to him. He took it and held her hand, lowering his mouth to it kissing it briefly.

"It's a pleasure to help you" he said, winking at her.

Nana rolled her eyes and said, "Oh Seth! Get out of here! Don't you have a wife and kids to go home to?" while laughing slightly.

He shrugged and said, "Just trying to be polite, Mrs. Greene. Good day"

And with that, he hopped into the car and drove off. "Come, let's get you inside" Nana said to Courtney as she carried one of her bags. Courtney grabbed the rest of them and followed Nana inside. She led her to a room with purple walls and white vine-like decorations on it. On the right side of the room, there was a white door with a brown doorknob and a bookshelf filled with books.

On the left side of the room, a queen sized bed with white-coloured with purple vine-like bed sheets covering it was next to a window showing the backyard, with a closet near the bed. Courtney smiled to herself knowing that purple and white are her favourite colours. Her grandmother knows her too much.

"This is your room and you get your own bathroom. I knew that your favourite colours are purple and white, so I decorated it just for you! And this bed sheets are specifically made for you as I went to the tailors myself. It has those little vines creeping on the edges so it can symbolize your love for plants!" she kept on babbling about something about the colours of the wall. Her grandmother's eccentric alright but Courtney couldn't put herself to care. She was so mesmerized by the room that she didn't hear her grandmother asking her a question.

"Is this enough for you?" she asked, breaking Courtney's train of thoughts.

She blinked away her tears and said, "What do you mean enough? This is more than enough! This is...perfect! Thanks a lot!" She hugged her tightly before letting her go to say, "I just...wished that my mom is here to see this."

Nana smiled sadly and said, "Me too, sweetie."

She caresses Courtney's cheek with the back of her left hand affectionately and said, "Come, let's have some tea" Courtney nodded and followed her towards the veranda overlooking the backyard. They sat down near a table and enjoyed their tea.

Courtney looked around and noticed the lack of appearance of a certain man. She asked, "Where's Grandpa?"

Nana lowered down her cup and said, "He went to the Hertfordshire a couple of days ago. He'll be back sooner or later."

"Oh" I all Courtney can say. Grandpa was 60 years old so there for he was too old to participate in the war. Everybody knew he wanted to so badly, but the military refused to let someone so old to rage in war. An awkward silence crept in. "So, how was the trip from there to here?" Nana started, breaking the silence.

She wrinkled her nose, as if deep in thought. After a few moments, she said, "Hmm let me see. They have an uptight security hound that glares at me every single time I past it, lights went off at exactly nine o'clock, ruining the fun. And the food, well, at least it's edible. Other than that that, everything's just peachy!"

"Peachy?" Nana laughed.

"What? Oh and do you know that they don't have a single flower on that ship? Not even plastic ones! It's so unfair!" Courtney said exasperatedly.

Nana shook her amused. "Of course sweetie, you're on a ship-"

"It felt more like a floating prison" she muttered, cutting her off.

"_And,_ the flowers need soil to grow with and I don't think the sea water is good for them" she said amused.

Courtney crossed her arms across her chest and grumbled, "I still think it's unfair" with a pout. Nana shook her head amused at her niece's bluntness.

"You're going to a boarding school in a week. In the mean time, get yourself comfortable in this neighbourhood. You know, take a walk or maybe you can even make a few friends" she said as she took a sip of her tea. Courtney lowered down her cup and fidgeted with her skirt.

"Can't I just stay in the house?" she asked hopefully. Much to her dismay, her grandmother shook her head. "You have to be sociable at least. You'll be staying here for a while and it must be really nice to have friends that are familiar with the surroundings. That way you won't get lost" she said determinedly.

Courtney sighed in defeat and said, "Fine. But I think I need to-"she was cut shortly by her yawn. "-sleep first. It's getting late."

Her grandmother smiled understandingly and said, "Of course sweetie. Good night!" She stood up and gave her grandmother a kiss on her cheek and stalked towards her room. She changed her clothes into a simple white nightgown and sleepiness overcomes her even before her head could touch the pillow.

~THE NEXT DAY~

Courtney could be found with Nana as they were planting a new patch of tulip buds in the garden by the backyard. The warm autumn breeze blew across the garden, making the day a perfect day for an outing. Today, it was expected that Grandpa would be back by noon and she was very excited to see her grandfather again. She decided to surprise him by planting a few more plants into his beautiful garden.

Patting the soil with her gloved hands, she stopped when she heard the ringing sounds of a bicycle bell. Courtney looked at her grandmother and raised her eyebrow. Nana just shrugged and stood up; brushing her muddied skirt with her hands and walked towards the fence that separated the backyard with the front lawn.

She came back with a letter and a parcel in her hands with a mixture of relief and sadness on her face. She pressed her lips into a thin line and hand them over to Courtney. "This is for you," Nana said. Looking at her grandmother confused, she hesitantly took the letter and opened the seal. Reading it out loud, it says,

_Dear Courtney,_

_I am very sad to say that I cannot be there with you and your grandmother for a few more days. It depends on the business here; if it flows like usual I shall be home by tomorrow. But if not, I would probably be here for three to five more days._

_As for my health, don't worry, I am as healthy as can be. There is a clinic here across the street to where I am staying, so you don't have to worry about medical references. I am very sorry for the last minute notice, and I bought this scarf for your grandmother is made of from the finest silk they've got, a token of my love. As for you, your surprise awaits till I am home._

_Once again, I am very sorry for the late notice. I love both of you very much, and to tell you the truth, I'm a little scared on what will your grandmother would react on this._

_Love,  
Grandpa._

_P.S Take care of your grandmother, will you?_

She smiled at the letter and looked at her grandmother amused. She opened the parcel and took out the silk scarf. It was a two sided colour scarf, with the left as red and the other side black and two golden flowers that were sewn on both edges of the scarf. She handed it over to her grandmother and waited for her reaction. Nana took it and smiled fondly at it, playing with the material absentmindedly.

She looked up and pouted slightly. She said, "Your grandfather always knows how to persuade me into not killing him" Courtney chuckled and Nana couldn't help but cracking a smile on her wrinkly face. Soon, she joined in - Courtney's laughter was contagious. She shook her head and climbed the stairs of the veranda. She placed the scarf on the small circular table that they have their tea the evening before, and walked to where Courtney stood, crouching over the garden.

* * *

**Hope you guys like it! Reviews make me happy and it made me write more...motivation is very much needed! :D**


	3. An Eventful Day

**A/N: This story has taken place after Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It's a complete ****OS**** after that, though, there are small preferences of PC and TMN. I'm telling you guys this because I don't want you to be confused. Peter and Susan aren't in this story, yet. Oh, and there are also age differences. Professor Kirk won't make an appearance, but he will be mentioned.**

**Courtney (OC): 17|Edmund: 19|Lucy: 18|Caspian: 24|Eustace: 17|Jill: 17|Polly: 55|Benjamin (OC): 55|Peter: 25|Susan: 24|**

**Okay, of with the story!**

* * *

Sunset began to arrive as they climbed the stairs of the veranda, exhausted. Courtney stalked towards her bathroom and took a shower. After that, she wore a pink dress shirt that passed her knees, and a pair of bunny slippers. She walked out towards the kitchen and sat on the table as she watched amusedly at her grandmother, as she hastily made dinner. After the delicious meal, she went back to her bedroom and brushed her teeth.

Wiping her mouth with a small towel, she sat on the chair near the dressing table and combed her hair, thinking about her surprise absentmindedly. _I wonder what it will be..._ she thought. She placed the comb on the dressing table and stood up. Yawning and stretching her arms upright, she plopped herself on herself in a very unladylike manner. She closed her eyes and count to three as she slowly drifting off to sleep.

**~.~**

_She stood there, in the middle of nothing; her surroundings are anything but visible. Slowly, it dissipates and suddenly there she was, in the middle of a meadow, wearing a white ankle-length dress and a pair of white flats. She looked around, marvelled by the meadow when her ears picked up something distinctively sounded like music. Curiosity overwhelmed her, so she made up her mind and went to the direction of the song. _

_The grass ruffled with her footsteps as she walked towards the trees, and entered the forest. She dodged rocks and duck under low branches as she walked, absentmindedly clutching the hem of her dress. Once she hid behind bushes by the edge of a clearing, she saw a village with floating flower petals, fauns, centaurs and animals at every kind dancing around. The dryads' faces could resemble a human, she realized this._

_ She stepped out of the bushes that she was hiding from and tentively walked towards the village. The music stopped when they realized that there's a strange visitor. At first they hesitate, but after a couple of moments she was greeted enthusiastically, cheering and clapping. Even though the outlines of a smile on the dryads' faces are fine, but she could see it nevertheless. It's oddly familiar to be in this place, she thought as everything went black again..._

**~.~**

Courtney woke up with the sound of bird chirping and stretched her arms upright. _What a weird dream, _she thought. She shook her head and stood up. She shuffled towards the bathroom of her own and washed her face. She took a warm shower with the scent of roses and honey filled the room.

When she was done, she wrapped herself with her towel and walked towards the closet. After ten minutes, she decided on wearing a peach-coloured dotted floral day dress with beige flats. She put her auburn-coloured hair into loose curls that falls delicately, mid-stop on her back. Satisfied with her casual outfit, she walked out her room, towards the kitchen.

What draws her towards the kitchen is the scent of her grandmother's cooking. Other than gardening, her grandmother's cooking is the best of the best in the whole wide world. That's what Courtney's opinion that is. When she entered the kitchen and saw Nana fussing over the stove and a man facing his back at her near the sink.

"Grandpa!" she exclaimed excitedly. He turned around and smiled warmly. She ran towards him and they hugged each other. Grandpa kissed her head and pulled back as if to examine her.

"Who are you and what have you done to my granddaughter, hm?" he asked playfully; raising his eyebrows. She giggled and said, "It's nice to see you too, Grandpa."

"When did you get back?" she asked.

"Yesterday, when you're asleep. If I'm not mistaken, I was here around midnight. It turns out; they don't really need my help. "

"Well dear, you must be hungry from the trip" Nana gushed at her husband, after giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"Oh yes, I'm starving. Come, a seventeen-year-old must eat. You are becoming a fine young woman, in case you haven't notice" Grandpa complimented her, making her slightly blush. He dragged her towards the dining table with her arms still wrapped around him.

Courtney sat on her chair and began to dig in. Her grandmother had cooked a plate of pancakes, bacon, and scramble eggs. Nana went back to stove to carry a kettle and pour some hot water in a teacup. She made orange juice for Courtney and tea for herself and her husband.

"So, what are you planning to do today?" Grandpa asked Courtney as they started to eat.

She shrugged and said, "I don't know. Maybe read a book or gardening at the backyard or something like that"

Nana looked at her dismissively and said, "You've done that yesterday. You can't just stay cooped up in this place. Go outside, take some fresh air"

"But gardening at the backyard _is_ outside" Courtney argued.

"Courtney" her grandmother gave her a warning glare.

Courtney sighed defeated once again and said, "I know, I know. Take a walk, make some new friends, familiarized myself with the surroundings." She did dramatic gestures with her hands as she said so, making Nana chuckle. She can never really win an argument when it comes to Nana. She was always right and Courtney knew it. It annoyed her sometimes.

"Good. There's a bicycle near the porch. You can use it if you want." Courtney nodded and stood up to give kisses on their cheeks. She walked into the hallway towards her bedroom as she decided to go to for a ride with the bicycle, and grabbed a couple of books along with her camera that her parents gave her on her birthday. After putting them into her messenger bag, she walked to the porch, grabbed the bicycle and rode off.

Ten minutes later, she reached a park. It was enveloped with the most beautiful flowers she's seen in her entire life. Daisies, tulips, roses you named it, it's there. She saw a couple of groups having a picnic, laughing. She walked towards a huge oak tree and leaned her bicycle on it. She took a deep breath and walked towards a patch of daisies.

She smiled absently as she brushed her hands above them and picked one. She smelled it and tucked it behind her ear. She walked back to the oak tree when suddenly she tripped over a root and stumbled backwards. She squealed and landed on the ground with a 'thud'.

"Ouch" she groaned.

She closed her eyes, willing for the slight pain on her head to go away. Suddenly, a figure blocked the sunlight from her, leaning downwards. She opened her eyes and a brunette with soft green eyes looking at her concerned.

* * *

Jill had waited for him for almost twenty minutes. They were supposed to go to the new nearby park today for an early walk, but he was late. Being the impatient person she is, she huffed and walked towards the front door of his house. She knocked on it and waited. A couple of minutes later, a sheepish looking Eustace opened the door. "What took you so long?" Jill asked.

"I'm sorry, I overslept" he replied. She shook his head with a slight chuckle and turned on her heels, walking to the gate. Eustace made a move to follow her, but as soon as he walked out of his door, he shivered. It was an oddly cold day, and he didn't wear a sweater. His mom's going to kill him if she found out about it. So he made up his mind and entered his house again. Before he could step foot into his house, he turned back to look at Jill. He said, "You go ahead! I'm just going to get my sweater!" Jill nodded and walked off.

Quickly, he made it into his bedroom and look through his drawers. Well, if you count throwing everything out the way searching for your sweater 'looking'. Finally, he found his favourite sweater and put it on.

He groaned once he saw the mess in his room, his clothes were scrambled across the floor, and one of his pants was on the table-lamp. _Jill is going to kill me if I'm late again _he thought. Scanning his room once more, he thought;_ Ah, I'll clean the mess later! _Careful not to step on any of his clothes, he made his way to the door.

Jill was walking down the pathway towards the park when she heard a squeal, followed by a rather loud 'humph'. She ran towards the noise and gasped when she saw a girl lying on the grass with her eyes closed. In a manner of minutes, she hovered over the girl, blocking her from the sunlight. She pulled a concerned look when her eyes started to open.

* * *

"Are you alright?" the girl asked. Courtney grimaced and nodded. She took out her hand and Courtney gladly accepted it. The girl pulled her up on her feet, still looking concerned at her. She brush of the skirt of the dress and straightened her back. She smiled at her gratefully.

"Thank you" she muttered. A small smile appeared on the girl's face. "My name is Jill. Jill Pole. What's yours?" she asked.

"I'm Courtney"

"Well, Courtney that was a pretty rough fall. Are you sure you're alright?" she said, laughing slightly at the last part.

Courtney chuckled and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I guess you could call me the clumsiest girl in the world"

Jill laughed. "Don't worry; I've seen worst then that. One time, it was my birthday party, my friend Eustace; he was carrying cream pies on both of his hands. He didn't watch where he was going at that time, and he-"

"Slipped on a banana peel, fell on my bum with the pies on my face. Believe me; it still hurts after that" someone interrupted her with a male voice. They looked to Jill's right to see a very tall boy – taller than her that is, smirking at them. Jill smiled and draped her arm around his waist, giving him a side hug. As she released him, he's cheeks turned pink, no doubt blushing slightly. Courtney raised her eyebrow at him but decided not to say anything. Jill looked at her and smiled.

"This is Eustace. Eustace, Courtney" she said, gesturing at them back and forth. Eustace smiled and took out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Are you new around here? I've never seen you before" Courtney nodded and shook his outstretched hand.

"I move in from America a couple days ago" she replied. Their eyes widen and their calm faces turned into shock when they heard this. Courtney just smiled sheepishly, never have impressed anyone with anything about herself. Jill, fortunately, was the first one to recover.

"You're from America? That would explain your weird accent, no offense though. I've always wanted to go there. What's it's like to live there?" She asked.

"Well, New York's lot busier than London"

"I doubt that" Eustace cut in with a snort. Jill glared at him and nudged his ribs with her elbow. He winced and rubbed it, scowling as he didn't know what he did wrong. Courtney struggled not to laugh at their antics, even though she just met them, she knew that they would make a very cute couple. She would have to find a way to set them up later on. _  
_

_I wonder how they would look like as a couple,_ she thought.

_I don't think that's a good idea,_ said a small voice in her head.

_Why not?_

_Because, you can't just meddle in people's love life. It's just...wrong._

_Well, you're not the boss of me. I'm the boss of me._

_Don't you mean we're the boss me considering the fact that we're the_ exact _same __person?_

_I'm confused._

_Believe me, I'm nowhere near to what I just said._

_Then, why did you said it?_

_I have no idea._

She thought she was getting mad, fighting with herself. Apparently she's not the only one. Jill and Eustace looked at her incredulously as she stared at an open space behind them, with a faraway look and flickers of wonder to annoyance and irritation to defeat appeared on her face. Ever so slowly, and cautiously, Jill snapped her fingers in front of Courtney's face, bring her back to the present. She jumped out of her reverie, and blinked twice. She shook her head and smiled pursed.

"Sorry, I blanked out. I tend to do that sometimes" she admitted sheepishly. Jill and Eustace chuckled slightly earning a playful glare from Courtney. She walked towards her bicycle that was leaning against the oak tree, with Jill and Eustace trailing her from behind. She grabbed her messenger bag and took out her camera. She turned around and smiled. They raised her eyebrows at her astonished.

"You have a camera? I've always wanted a camera" Jill added. Courtney smirked and squint her eye to take a picture.

"My dad said I should take pictures of the surroundings and my friends as a memory" she said. Jill and Eustace looked at each other and shrugged. He draped is arm around her shoulder, while Jill hugged his waist and smiled at the camera. For a second there, she almost thought they were a couple.

_I have got to stop doing that! _She thought and she shook her head, sighing. "Say cheese!" she said.

"Cheese!" They exclaimed as the camera flashed. After a few shots, she put away the camera into her bag. She was about to drape the strap over her shoulder when Eustace said, "Where are you going?" She sighed and faced them.

"I got to go. My grandmother's going to kill me if I'm not back by now." She said.

"Surely you stay for a while? It's not even evening yet" Jill interjected. Courtney thought of it and sighed. She's right, it's not evening yet. Plus, her grandmother _did _say that she should make some new friends. What's the worst that could happen?

"Okay" she sighed. They beamed happily and walked towards her. The three of them sat down on the roots of the oak tree, leaning against it.

"Let's play twenty questions" Courtney said suddenly. Jill and Eustace looked at her confusedly. Courtney turned her head and her eyes locked with their confused gazes.

"What? Haven't you guys play twenty questions before?"

They shook their head. Courtney sighed. "Well, basically you ask questions to each other, to know your new friend a lot better? It's not limited to twenty questions, you can ask as many as questions as you want. They just called it 'twenty questions'." They nodded understandingly.

"Okay, I'll start first. How old are you?" Courtney asked, staring at a boat-shaped cloud.

"Both of us are seventeen, though I'm much older than him" Jill answered.

Feeling a little offended, Eustace looked at her and said, "You were only born three months before me!"

"Yeah, but I'm still older!" Jill argued.

"Well, at least I'm taller!" he said smugly. She rolled her eyes and turned her head to look at Courtney, Eustace looking at her too. "So, how old are _you_?"

"Same, but sometimes I feel older..." Courtney trailed off. Jill and Eustace laughed at her statement.

* * *

"Where is that child? She's going to be late for lunch!" Nana exclaimed. She was pacing back and forth near the window of the leaving room, hoping to see a glance of her auburn-coloured hair walking towards the gate. Grandpa rolled his eyes and continued where he left off with his newspaper. "You know, if you keep pacing, you're going to leave a hole in the carpet" he said.

She glared at him and put both of her arms on her hips. "Well, excuse me for worrying about my _grandchild_" she hissed.

"Will you stop it? She's probably at that new park down the street. Maybe she even made a few friends. Leave her be, she's seventeen years old, Polly. Not five. She could take care of herself" he said.

Nana looked at him disbelievingly and sighed. "I hope you're right. But if she's not home before sunset, then I shall held a-a search party!" Grandpa shook his head and chuckled. His wife is always overreacting. Besides, Courtney was gone only for two hours.

* * *

Two hours had gone, and their still sitting there, leaning against the tree. Right now, they were staring at the clouds, trying to make out any shapes that could be formed by it.

"That one looks like a rabbit! I've always wanted to have a rabbit" Jill said.

"You've always wanted to have _everything_" Eustace said, rolling his eyes while sitting up. Straightening her back, Courtney laughed when Jill glared at them, in results of a slap on both of their shoulder. They grimaced at the slight pain, rubbing the sore part. "Ouch, sometimes I doubt that you're even a girl" Eustace grumbled. Jill glared at him again and made a move to slap his shoulder again. But before she could reach it, he grabbed her wrist and held it. Jill flinched slightly once her skin made contact with his own.

"You have got to stop beating people, woman! I mean, seriously, what's wrong with you? Anger management issues?" he said.

"Plus, it was just a joke. We can't use violence to solve our problems, you know." Courtney interjected. Jill sighed and nodded her head, looking regretful.

Courtney and Eustace smiled at her, though Eustace's is rather grim. Jill looked down at her hand, which is still held by Eustace. She cleared her throat and looked up at him.

"Umm, Eustace?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he asked back.

"You can let go of my hand now" she muttered. He let go of her hand slowly, almost reluctantly. Even though he was trying to hide it, disappointment was clear in his blue eyes. It seems that only Courtney notice this. They leaned back against the tree and stared at the now clear blue sky. A comfortable silence crept in, each of them lost in their own thoughts. It didn't last, however, when Jill cleared her throat again.

"I'm sorry for what I did just now. I guess, maybe I'm just, I don't know. I've never really have a _girl_friend before, maybe that's why I'm this? A girl who acts like a boy? What's it called again?"

"A tomboy?" Courtney answered. It sounded more like a question.

"Exactly! A tomboy! Maybe because of my friendship with Eustace kind off, you know, influenced it? Not that I'm blaming you of course!" she added, looking directly at him. He shrugged it off with a wave of his hand.

"Like I said before, I never really have a friend who's a girl, heck; I don't even _have_ friends before I met Eustace."

Courtney shook her head and smiled. "You don't have to apologize. I know what it feels like. Back in America, I only have a couple friends, nothing special. It's a miracle that I actually made friends in just two days." She looked at them and raised her eyebrow.

"You guys _are_ my friends, right?" she asked teasingly.

"Of course we are!" they laughed. She smiled and nodded. "Good to know, 'cause I need someone to show me around, I don't want to get lost" she said, making Jill and Eustace laugh at her bluntness. They looked at each other and Jill raised her eyebrows. Eustace nodded and both of them rise to their feet. Courtney looked up at them curiously.

"Where are you guys going?" she asked. They just shrugged and offer their hands. Courtney accepted both of them and they pulled her up. Adjusting the skirt of her dress, she looked at them questioningly. "Seriously though, where are you going?" she asked again. They smiled and hooked their arms around hers, Eustace on her left, while Jill was on her right, as if they were escorting her to a ball.

"Well, you said you want us to show you around" Eustace said with an obvious tone.

"And it's still two o'clock in the evening" Jill continued for him.

"So might as well do just that" he added. Courtney laughed and decided to tag along. It's not like she has a choice really, she was being dragged. Then a thought crept up in her mind.

"Wait, my bicycle!" she exclaimed, forcing them to stop.

"Oh, just leave it there. Nobody's going to steal a bicycle, let alone that!" Eustace said, pointing at it. Courtney glared at him and ran towards the bicycle. She grabbed her messenger bag ad clung the strap over her shoulder. After making sure the bike was secure, she walked with them towards the pathway that leads to the main street.

* * *

It was almost six o'clock by the time they walked Courtney to her house. After the grand tour of the neighbourhood, they bought ice-cream and went back to the park to retrieve her bicycle. Just like Eustace had said, it was still there. It seems that they know who Nana and Grandpa are, and it turns out that Jill and Eustace live five blocks away from her, so she could visit them anytime. The people in the neighbourhood are friendly enough, and she was very happy that she gets to live here.

Once she pushed the gate of her house, the front door burst opened. Her grandmother ran towards her and hugged her tightly. "Thank god, you're safe!" She pulled back and looked at her sternly. "Where _have _you been? You were out for _seven_ hours, young lady! You skip lunch and teatime! Your grandfather and I were worried sick!"

"Actually, she's the one who's frantic. I, however, was as calm as the sea" Grandpa cuts in. Nana sighed and glared at him. "What are you trying to do? Convince her into coming home late?" she hissed.

"No, I just want to be the peacemaker, you know, to calm you down" Grandpa argued.

"Well, I don't need your help! I can do it myself!" she said defiantly.

"Both of you stop! Please! I do not want to hear an old couple fighting, especially if they were my grandparents!" Courtney interrupted them. Nana and Grandpa looked at her apologetically.

"You're right. I'm glad that you're back. But don't you ever pull a stunt like that again!" she said. Courtney smiled and nodded. All this time, Jill and Eustace were looking at them amused. They didn't even notice their presence until Eustace cleared his throat. They looked at them surprised, not knowing that there was somebody watching them.

"Eustace, Jill! It's nice to see you!" Nana said. Jill and Eustace smiled and give them a curt nod. "Would you like to come in?" she asked.

They shook their head and began to walk backwards. "No thank you, Mrs. Greene. We should head back, it's almost dark out."

Nana silently agreed and nodded.

"We'll see you tomorrow then?" Jill asked hopefully. Courtney nodded enthusiastically and waved them goodbye. Once they were gone, Nana looked at her; smiling. "You know them?" she asked.

"They might've been friends" she answered, shrugging.

"Hah, I told you so!" Grandpa said. Nana rolled her eyes and looked at Courtney with twinkling eyes. She said, "You're going telling me about every single detail about how you met them, okay? Come, its dinnertime." She walked towards the porch, but she stopped when she was standing next to Grandpa.

"By the way, you're sleeping on the couch tonight" she muttered.

"WHAT?" Grandpa exclaimed, making Courtney laugh. Nana shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly and walked off. Grandpa turned to Courtney and said, "Could you believe her?"

Courtney just laughed. Today was a very eventful day indeed.

* * *

After walking Jill back to her house, Eustace made his way towards his own house. He was smiling absently because he actually made a new friend. And not only that, he held _her_ hand. Well, it was her wrist, but that doesn't matter! The point is; he touched her. He smiled wider when he remembered the sudden spark that tingled by the tip of his fingers when he grasped her wrist. He hoped that she felt it too. _Can this day get any better?_ He thought.

He's thoughts were interrupted however, when he heard his mother shouted for him. "Eustace, Eustace where are you!?" she shouted. He entered the house, suddenly felt cautious. She never raises her voice before, let alone shout. He found her in the living room, with her back to him. She turned around once she heard footsteps, and boy, she looks very angry.

"Eustace! Clean up your room this instance!" she shouted. _Bloody hell, _he groaned inwardly. He forgot all about his messy room. _I guess the day _couldn't _get any better,_ he thought as he walked into his bedroom with a grimace.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you guys like it! If you found any mistakes or you just want to say something, please review! I want to know what you guys think! **


	4. Lockets and Centaurs

**A/N: I am so sorry for not updating sooner. It's just that it was really HARD to write, I really have no idea why. So, I hope this is worth the three-weeks wait. Also, I like to thank my beta, Maddie Rose for beta'ing this chapter for me. Thank you! **

DISCLAIMER: Oh, you know I don't own it!

* * *

As she got ready for bed, there was a light knock on her door. She muttered her welcome and sat on her bed. As the door opened, Grandpa walked in, holding a small black velvet box in his wrinkly hands. With Courtney watching him curiously, Grandpa made his way to her bed and sat beside her.

She turned her body and leaned against her headboard of the bed so she could face him. Grandpa looked at her and smiled. He reached for her hands and placed the box in them. She tilted her head to one side, silently asking.

"Surprise" he whispered. She smiled slightly and pressed the clutch that holds two sides of the box. With a 'snap', it opened to reveal an-oval shaped golden locket, with flower-like details across the edges. On each flower, green and blue gemstones were engraved on the middle of them. She traced it with her fingers absentmindedly, admiring the details at the same time. Grandpa sighed and took the locket. He smiled fondly at it and looked at her, holding her gaze.

"This locket is your father's," he said, instantly catching Courtney's attention. He continued, "He gave it to me before he went. It was suppose to be your birthday present when you come of age. Even though your birthday already passed on, I figured you would still want this."

She nodded. She was very surprised that her father remembered her at all. It had been nearly four years since she had seen him, sometimes she even felt as if she was abandoned. Grandpa looked at her and instantly knew that she was thinking. She would frown slightly as she bit her lower lip between her teeth, and if you looked closer, you could see that her left eye twitched slightly. As if reading her mind he said, "He loves you, you know." She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him.

"Your father. Much more than you could imagine." he continued. She smiled sadly and took the locket from his hands. Sighing, he stood up, kissed her forehead and bid her goodnight. Once he walked out of the door, she ran towards her dressing table and put it on. She smiled at her reflection, and took some time to look at herself.

Her eyes were huge and brown; the left eye had a tiny little beauty spot right beside it. Her nose was small, but it's a little too pointed for her liking. Her cheekbones were quite prominent, with freckles scattered over them. She looked down at her reflection and stopped at her lips. The bottom lip was much fuller than the upper lip, making her look as if she was pouting slightly. Her skin tone was slightly tanned, but it still had a pale complexion to it. Her hair was auburn coloured, which was wavy and it reached mid-back. She had no intentions on making it longer, so every time it grew longer than that, she would cut it without hesitance. Her face was heart-shaped, with a few freckles on her jaw here and there.

Green and blue lights bounced around her room as the gemstones reflected the light of the dressing table. She took it off and put it back in the box, and kept it in her drawer. Yawning, she walked over her bed and flopped her body in a very unladylike manner. She reached under her pillow and took out a crumpled picture. It was a picture of her family; she was sitting on the ground playing with the leaves of a sunflower while her parents were smiling fondly at her. She was five years old that time, her uncle took the picture during Thanksgiving Day. Her uncle died out of cancer, she was only seven.

She sighed one last time and tucked it back under her pillow. She laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, willing for her to sleep. She did, of course, but not before she let a stray tear slipped on her cheek, thinking about her father.

* * *

It had been two weeks since she got the locket from her grandfather, which you could see around her neck almost every day. With the strap of her bag over her shoulder, she wore a button-down purple blouse, a white ruffled skirt and a pair of white flats she wore before. Her hair was in a simple ponytail, with a few strands of hair around her face.

She was walking down the road when suddenly she heard a wolf whistle. She turned around and saw five boys, around her age she thought, smirking at her. They were running their eyes up and down on her body, and it was making her feel uncomfortable. She didn't show her discomfort however, she just kept a straight face.

"May I help you?" she asked, as calmly as possible, hoping they didn't hear any fear behind her voice. Luckily they didn't. The first boy, who had sandy-coloured hair, walked casually towards her. He was looking at her intensely, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She took a few steps back cautiously and the boy stopped. He smiled mischievously and tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"I've never seen you before. Are you new?" he said, still staring at her weirdly. She nodded and took a step back. The boy shook his head and snickered.

"Have you got yourself a tour around here?" he said, striding to her, now less than a foot to her. He stood there waiting for an answer from her. She nodded and fidgeted with the hem of her blouse. That was her habit when she was nervous or scared, she would fidget with the closest thing she got. Right now, it was her blouse. His eyes darkened slightly at the sight. He was about to take another step forward, when suddenly a stone hit him on his head.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, rubbing his head. He looked around and saw nothing. He looked at his friends, who were shrugging as if to say they didn't know anything. He turned around and reached for Courtney's hand, attempting to grab it. Suddenly, something shiny shot in the middle of them and stopped on the tree. There it quivered, on the trunk of the tree, a pocket knife. The boys' eyes widened and looked to their right. Courtney followed their gaze and released a sigh of relief.

Eustace was jogging towards her, with Jill hot on his trail. His face was red, and he looked like a bull seeing red. Once he got to her, he pulled her to his back roughly and glared at the boy. He glared at him back.

"Eustace" he growled.

"Carter, do you have anything else better to do than to molest a girl?" he said in a somewhat casual way.

"I didn't know she was your girlfriend" Carter said through gritted teeth, flexing his eyebrow at the last bit. Carter glared down at him, towering over him a couple of inches. Eustace however, didn't even flinch. Eustace sneered and spit on the ground next to him.

"Courtney's my friend and if you're messing with her, you're messing with me" he growled. Jill took step forward and smirked.

"Besides, you don't want last year's incident to repeat, now would you?" she sweetly asked, mocking him by batting her eyelashes. Carter's eyes widen for a fraction and looked at Eustace, daring him with his not-so-death glare.

"What happened to you, mate?"

"I am not your mate."

"Yeah, your right. Nowadays you're just no fun." Carter said. Eustace growled and pushed him backwards, Carter almost tripping on his feet. Courtney's eyeswidened but she didn't do anything. A part of her was actually glad that Eustace was threatening him. That boy gave her the goose bumps.

"You want to know what's wrong with me? I fucking grew up that's what!"

"Aww, is little Eustace getting sensitive?" he asked sarcastically, eliciting laughter from his friends. Jill glared at him and clenched her fist. She really hated Carter and his 'gang'; they seemed to not learn their lesson a few years back. Even after getting expelled and being sent to rehab, he still acted as if he ruled the world. Never in her life had she hated anyone as much she hates him. He was the one who made her cry every single day and at the same time, made her life miserable once she stepped foot in her old school.

Thank god the school was closed; otherwise she would likely to kill him.

Courtney watched their exchange of words with each other. She had never seen this side of Eustace before.

_I guess this is what mum meant when she said never judge a book by its cover _she mused inwardly.

She glanced at Eustace's hand to see it clenched, making it into a tight fist. His breath was shallow as he tried to control his anger. Not wanting this to be a physical fight, she laid her hands on each of their shoulders and squeezed gently. They tipped their ear to her direction, still staring at Carter.

"Guys, don't do this. He's not worth it." she whispered. Jill nodded and stepped back, joining Courtney by her side. Eustace's eyes softened a little at her voice, but his gaze was still locked with Carter's. Somehow, it turned into a staring contest; both of them dared each other to do something with glares and sneers.

"You know Eustace; I'm pretty sure you don't have to act heroic. Especially when you're the reason why they're missing." Carter said, trying to provoke him. Courtney looked at Eustace confusedly as his nostrils flared, and a jolt of triumph flashed in Carter's eyes. Jill stepped in front of them and raised her chin at Carter. Even though she was a good half a foot shorter than him, she didn't even feel intimidated by his height.

"Nobody knows what happened to them," she said, emphasizing her point by poking his chest.

"So don't-"

Poke.

"Put the-"

Poke.

"Blame on-"

Poke.

"-him". Carter just smirked and raised his hands, as if admitting surrender.

"Leave it to your girlfriend to save the day. Come on, guys. Let's get out of here" Carter said, backing off slowly. His lackeys nodded and followed his lead. He stopped and locked gaze with Courtney, who was glaring defiantly at him.

"See you later, _Courtney._" he said, sending shivers down Courtney's spine, but not in a good way. He turned around and stuffed his hands in his pockets, leaving three pair of eyes boring holes at the back of his golden head. Once they were out of their sight, Eustace sighed. Eustace turned around and smiled. Even when he was smiling, Courtney knew he was faking it. His eyes were full of concern, with swirls of something else. Something that she couldn't put her finger on. _Guilt?_

"Are you alright? They didn't do anything to you, did they?" he asked worriedly. She shook her head and pursed her lips.

"They didn't have the chance to do anything before you came along." she replied.

"It's a good thing too; I would have massacred them if they do" Jill piped in. Courtney's eyes widen and snapped her head to Jill. Jill chuckled slightly and turned around, leaving Courtney staring at her incredulously, her back on her.

"A lesson well learned, never provoke Jill if you want to live" Eustace muttered. Courtney laughed nervously and looked at Jill as she grabbed the pocket knife from the tree and pulled it off. She pressed a small button and with a loud 'snap', the blade retracted itself back to the hilt. She stuffed it into the pocket of her dress and walked towards them casually, as if the sight of a girl having a knife was_ not_ a weird thing.

Courtney's mouth opened as if to say something but closed it when there's nothing coming out of her mouth. Jill looked at her innocently, and said, "What's the matter? You look like a fish."

Courtney struggled to find her voice, and when she did the first thing that came out of her mouth is, "That's yours?"

Eustace laughed and he draped his arm over her shoulder. He looked at her and gave her a side-hug. "Told you so." he said. She looked back and forth from him to Jill; each glance had an incredulous expression written on her face.

"Why do you have a knife?" she asked cautiously. She shrugged and said, "I got it for my fifteenth birthday. My dad gave it to me"

"Wow, he must be _very_ protective then," she muttered to herself quietly, but Jill heard it still.

"No, not really. I'm the one who wanted it." she said. Courtney raised her eyebrows and smiled wryly. An uncomfortable silence crept in, making the situation even more awkward then before. Then suddenly, Jill clapped her hands together; breaking the silence.

"Alright people! Let's go this way!" Jill said, making her way towards the wrong direction. Eustace made her realize this, he shouted, "The other way!"

"The river's this way!" she said, turning around abruptly. Eustace shook his head at Jill, whose tongue was stuck out when she passed him.

* * *

"Courtney! You're making my dress wet!" Jill shouted as she splashed the water at her. They were sitting by the river near his house, trying to enjoy the picnic that his mother set up for them. She was kind enough to do so, not to mention to the fact that she was ecstatic when she found out Eustace made a new friend, even if she was a girl.

"Isn't that the idea?" Courtney laughed when she splashed water to her direction anyways. Jill glared at her and scooted over to the other side of the picnic blanket, away from the edge of the river. She was in the river, in a blue swimming suit with her hair clinging to her back. She glanced at Eustace, who was staring blankly at a willow. _I wonder what he's thinking about, _she thought. She swam to the bank and pulled herself up, and sat on it beside an oblivious Eustace. She cleared her throat and he snapped his head at her direction, a ghost of a smile spreading across his face.

She shivered by the cold air and wrapped her arms around herself, hoping the gesture would warm herself. Eustace looked at her confused at first, but when he saw the goose-bumps on her skin he grabbed the towel by his side and draped it across her shoulder. She smiled gratefully and clung tightly with towel.

"Better?" he asked. She nodded and gave him a side glance. He had a blank expression on his face; his eyes drooped down to his legs, which were dangling by the edge of the bank. She hesitated at first, so she took a deep breath and sighed, "Eustace?"

He hummed in response.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked, pressing her lips into a thin line and looked at him. He nodded, looking ahead. Absentmindedly looking at a flying dragonfly, she asked, "What does Carter meant by '_you're the reason why they're gone'_?"

He tensed his shoulders when he heard her question. She looked at him expectantly in the same time nervous. She doesn't know what he will say, and a part of her is expecting him lashing at her with anger, demanding her to mind her own business. But he didn't. He just stood there, staring at the willow whose leaves are swaying through the cold autumn breeze. She felt more agitated by the minute, so she made her mind to end it.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked-" she muttered guiltily, but was cut off by him.

"No, it's okay. Since that you're going to live here, might as well just tell you. I wouldn't blame you for being curious. I was just...stunned to hear you asking me the very question that I've been trying to avoid," he said. She nodded understandingly and scooted over to the right so she was sitting right next to him. She waited for him to continue, fidgeting with the fibre of the towel.

"Two months ago, my cousins and I had a slight misunderstanding. I said...something that offended them. When one of my cousins cried, her brother and I fought like there was no tomorrow, shouting insults at each other. By the time we're done, she was gone. I wanted to find her but he stopped me, saying that I've done enough. He went on the search for her alone in the forest, since that's the likely place for her to hide. Mind you, the forest is her favourite place around here. After two hours, they didn't come back. I was feeling a little edgier by the minute, so I made up my mind to go and look for them" he said, his voice cracking at the end. It took a couple of moments for Courtney to realize that Eustace was crying.

"I searched everywhere for them but when I couldn't find them, I panicked. I went back to my house and told my parents, I even informed the police to go and look for them. When we told my aunt about what had happened, she stopped talking to us. Rumours spread here and there after that, most of them saying that I'm the reason why they're gone. I didn't stop them - I couldn't. Not because I didn't care, it's because I knew they were right," he finished; a stray tear falling down his cheek. Jill, who joined them a few minutes ago, reached his face and wiped it away.**  
**

"Hey, you know it's not your fault" she said, trying to convince him. He just shook his head and buried it in his hands, taking in a shuddering breath.

"I miss them. I wish I could go back in time and stop myself from saying what I said" he muttered, his voice muffled by his hands. Courtney contemplated in her head on the next question she was about to ask. If he was already this distraught about this, will she be able to ask it without hurting his feelings furthermore? Well, there's only one way to find out.

"What _did _you said to them?" she said, her voice no lower than a whisper. He raised his teary-face and stared ahead. "Honestly..." he trailed off. When he finally continued, his voice was monotonous.

"I don't remember."

* * *

Courtney was making her way towards her house alone after what Eustace told her at the river. She changed into a simple white dress and a pair of flip flops, since that her flats were wet. She stopped walking when she heard a familiar wolf whistle. _Oh no,_ she thought. She turned around only to get slammed against a wall. Struggling against his tight grip, she kicked and punched his chest.

"Let me go!" she shouted as loud as she can. Nobody seemed to hear her; they were in a deserted route near her house. Her attacker knew this, in fact as soon as she opened her mouth to shout he smirked evilly. Tightening the grip on her arms, he pressed his chest on hers so there was no ways of escape. She whimpered hopelessly and stared into his blue eyes.

"I'm not done with you, _yet_," Carter said. She glared at him and struggled harder. In the midst of the struggle, she thought of a plan. Slowly, she raised her leg and kneed his stomach. With a loud cry, he clutched it in pain, letting her go in the process. Once she slid down the wall, she crawled towards her messenger bag and hung the strap over her shoulder. Without hesitation, she broke into a run.

She ran as fast she could, even though it wasn't enough. Carter was right behind her, about ten feet away. She didn't know where she was going; she just kept running till she reached the entrance of the forest. She looked left to right, hoping to find a different way of escaping. She doesn't want to go in there after she heard on what happened to Eustace's cousins, but it looked like she didn't have much of a choice – Carter was gaining on her. Taking a deep breath, she dove into the forest, the dried leaves scrunching under her shoes.

She spotted a tree with vines of leaves dangling downwards at a particular spot; down in the middle. She decided to investigate and ran to it. She pushed the leaves aside and just like she thought, there was a huge hole in the trunk. Sighing in relief, she crawled in as deep as she could and soon she was directly in front of a dead end. She leaned against it, silently hoping that her pursuer didn't hear her laboured breathing.

Footsteps could be heard as he ran, looking for her in the middle of the forest. Suddenly, there was a loud roar, making him stop abruptly. He looked around and gasped at the sight before him.

The dried leaves on the ground raised themselves, as if being blew by the wind. However, there was no breeze. They twisted and turned, slowly they formed into what it looks like a head of a lion. It was bigger than any other lions that he ever seen before, it was at least seven foot tall. The almost invisible lion head sneered at him, showing one of his long fangs. It pulled its head back, and braced itself. It let go one of the biggest roars he heard in his entire life, scaring him. Looking at the floating form with wide and scared eyes, its mouth moved.

_Leave her alone_

He scurried away as fast as he can, not without slipping and fell on a thick root of course. He reached the opening of the forest within minutes and turned around to look at it. He walked backwards as he stared. _Who cares if she's still in there_, he thought. He turned his back at the forest, failing to notice the pair of eyes of the floating form looking at him disdainfully.

* * *

She woke up looking at the sky, which is bright as sunshine peeked through the branches of the trees. Her dress was slightly torn, and her hair was disarrayed. She sat up and leaned on her elbows, scanning the area. _I thought I was in the..._ she mused inwardly. She looked around confused as she didn't know how she got out of the hidden hole in the tree trunk. After shrugging it off, she made up her mind to search for the outskirts of the forest. Maybe she could reach a town or some sorts, so she stood up, and fixed her hair. Grabbing her bag, she started her journey to the presumed civilization.

It had been nearly two hours but she still hadn't found anything yet. In fact, the more she walked, the deeper she got in the forest. Huffing, she looked around, hoping to find some sort of shelter.

"Well, look who we have here," someone said. She stopped and turned around. A group of people in blue armour and swords clasped by their hips were smirking at her. This was all too déjà vu for her. She sighed annoyed and raised her eyebrow.

"Who are you and what do you want?" she questioned harshly. They were taken back at first, but soon recovered.

"A little feisty for someone who's lost in the woods," a man with sandy-brown hair said. He reminded her of Carter, and she decided that she didn't like him one bit. His smile morphed into a frown when he stared on her neck. She clasped her necklace cautiously, looking at his face the entire time. He looked up to his friends after he sneered at her.

"Her necklace...could it be?" he asked his friends. His friends looked at the necklace suspiciously and eyes widen. Cautiously, she took a step backwards.

"Only the rightful heir could wear that," she heard one of them muttered.

"If that so, how did she get it?" the other asked.

The man who talked to her before looked at her and reached the hilt of his sword. Glaring at her, he said, "Get her"

Her eyes widen and she ran away from the men. They split into two groups and chased her, one group taking the left way, the other took the right. _Why those this keep happening to me, _she thought as she dodged branches that droops low from an oak tree. She came to a stop to catch her breath, looking around to see where she was. Unfortunately, she was nowhere near the opening of the forest. The man was right; she was lost.

She heard a hiss and she instinctively looked to her left. Oversized roots were slowly approaching her, slithering across the forest ground as if theywere snakes. Her eyes widened and she stepped backwards. This reminded her of a horror movie she watched when she was younger. The main character was in the middle of a deserted forest when suddenly roots and branches started to grab hold on him and started to pull, dragging him on the ground. But instead of going to her direction, they slithered beside her and stopped by a tree trunk.

She heard approaching footsteps as the men in the blue armour jumped out of nowhere. One of them ran to her with the sword expertly swung above his head, ready to strike her. She didn't do anything, nor did she _try_ to escape as she was frozen to the spot, her feet somehow stuck to the ground. Suddenly, the oversized roots lounges forward and twisted one of its root channels around his wrist and gripped the sword. It threw the metal weapon away, gripping the man's wrist even harder, earning a yelp in pain in the process.

Another root clasped his throat as it strangled him, and slammed him against a tree. It released the man when his eyes rolled back, and he fell to the ground with a thud. The rest of them fled when they witnessed the downfall of their friend, the oversized roots hot on their trail. She continued her running when she heard another set of footsteps, and they were approaching fast. She tripped over and fell headfirst. Her foot was caught by one of the roots. She struggled to get it off, but it was worthless. Giving up, she closed her eyes to brace herself for the inevitable.

Suddenly she heard swords clashing, followed by an agony cry. She opened her eyes and gasped. To her right there was a body. She recognized the corpse as the man who talked to her. The men in blue who chased her before were being attacked by a group of people with...

_Four legs? _She wondered. She looked closely and examined their legs. They looked like horses' legs. Then she remembered what her mother told her when she was smaller.

_Next, there was a centaur. He has the body of a man from the head to the waist, but at the bottom he has the legs of a horse._

_They're centaurs! _She thought as realization hit her. _But why are there centaurs in a place like this?_ She wondered.

"One of you, go get the queen! We need all the help we could get!" one of them said. A brunette centaur nodded and galloped away, possibly running to summon the queen. The men ran away, two of the centaurs were chasing them. One of them turned around and looked at her concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a deep voice that strangely calmed her down. She nodded and smiled thankfully. The centaur looked up and gasped. She touched her forehead and pressed it gently. Hissing, her eyes widen when she saw blood trickling down her hand.

"What's going on here?" she heard a gentle female voice said.

"Archenlanders," the centaur said as he gestured his hand to her forehead. She heard a gasp and a shout for help as blackness overcame her.

* * *

"We can't let her stay here. We don't even know who she is!" a male voice hissed.

"Well we can't just live her in the forest, now can we, Edmund?" a soft female voice argued back.

"I don't see why not," the male voice said again.

"Shh! She's waking up!"

Courtney groaned lightly and opened her eyes to see a marble ceiling and the poles of a four-post bed. She slowly sat up but her head seemed to throb more. She closed her eyes, hissed in pain and clutched it with her right hand. "Shh, lay down" someone said pushing her back down on the soft pillows. The person set Courtney's mouth a little ajar and dropped something in it. A liquid substance was trickling down her throat, burning it slightly. Soon, her head ceased throbbing. She opened her eyes to see a pair of blue eyes looking at her concern.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked. Courtney nodded. "Thank you. Where am I?"

The girl hesitated and fidgeted with her dress. Courtney looked around to see a boy glaring at her. She quickly avoid his gaze looked closely to see the girl's green dress probably made by linen, with Celtic knot embroidered in gold trimmings and a jewelled belt. She looked down and shocked to see that she was wearing a red velvet lace-up medieval gown and is accented with gold-coloured trim & back lacing and gold-coloured satin lining on the arm tippets. _Why am I wearing this type of dress?_

_Where am I?_

_And what's going on here?_

* * *

**A/N: Okay I hope you guys like it :) Again, sorry for the SUPER late update. Review made my day happier, and right now I'm not happy. I got C for History...(waaaaa :'( ) For the ones who favourited and followed are awesome, but a review from you guys will be much better.**_  
_


End file.
